


Build Me Up, Buttercup

by etc_writes



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Awkward Flirting, Flirty Lance, Heartbreak, M/M, Misunderstandings, Pining Keith (Voltron), Romance, Romantic Comedy, Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), Summer Romance, meddling lotor, sarcastic pidge
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-28
Updated: 2018-10-28
Packaged: 2019-08-08 22:47:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16438307
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/etc_writes/pseuds/etc_writes
Summary: Summer was ending... which on its own wasn’t necessarily something Keith would dread, since the fall meant not being under the burning sun and actually having decent afternoon shifts.But it also meant he was going to lose THE view. The view being the way Alvarez’s butt looked in those tight pants...Keith sighed.Pidge thought he was hopeless.He wished he could deny it.





	Build Me Up, Buttercup

**Author's Note:**

> Hello~
> 
> So, this is my piece for the Keith Birthday Baby Bang 2018. Happy Birthday to the Grumpy Baby!! <3  
> And my partner in crime for this was adverbialstarlight!  
> You can find their tumblr here (http://adverbialstarlight.tumblr.com/) and their amazing art embedded in the story.
> 
> I also would like to thank everyone involved in keithbabybang for all of their hard work! This has been a really enjoyable experience.
> 
> So, this idea of a rom-com inspired by The Foundations' song Build me up, buttercup, has been brewing inside my head for a while and even though the timing wasn't too ideal, I hope I did it justice.
> 
> And I hope, you will enjoy it as well!

 

_Why do you build me up buttercup, baby_

_Just to let me down and mess me around?_

_And then worst of all you never call, baby_

_When you say you will but I love you still_

_I need you more than anyone, darlin'_

_You know that I have from the start_

_So build me up buttercup, don't break my heart_

 

_\--*--_

 

“You are hopeless.”

Keith startled but didn’t budge from his position. For a few seconds his head tilted towards the voice, while his eyes stayed focused on the view across the street.

"Did you know you could die from love sickness?"

What?

Keith’s gaze blinked away from the brightly lighted store, irritation prickling under his skin.

"Huh?" He mumbled, finally turning to look at Pidge. "What's that?"

Pidge was leaning across the counter, her red and green cap turned backwards. She made a dismissive action with her hand.

"Oh nothing" she commented sweetly.  "You are an idiot, not that it is any shocking news..."

Keith frowned, a stubborn expression settling over his face. He knew he was being unreasonable but it wasn't as if he was doing it on purpose. He couldn't help himself!

"Shut up!" He growled. "You don't know how it is!"

"Ohhh, you are absolutely right!" She continued, mocking and relentless. Because apparently she had to! "I don't know how it is that you can continually daydream about your babies but do absolutely _nothing_ to get a date!"

Then pushing herself from the counter she started to put milk cartons into the fridge. "It is really simple, Keith. Just ask him out!"

“I _can’t_!”

And he couldn't, could he?? It wasn't that easy! Nothing ever seemed like that for him. He pushed people away, locked them out and avoided emotions at all costs.

No, he couldn't do it!

And besides, it wasn’t as if he was the only one at fault!

Pidge sighed under her breath. "Fine, but I am not attending a wedding unless all guests are still alive."

It took a few seconds for Keith to get it but later, he gave Pidge a condescending smirk.

"That's fine by me"

 

\--*--

 

The thing was... Keith really wanted it to work out.

He really wanted this cute, silly boy to notice him and like him back! 

It was simply not going to happen. 

And it wasn't _just because_ Keith had hard time opening up to strangers. Oh no, it was at least some part related to the way his crush never quite pulled through...

"Goood morning lovely employees of Red Luck Coffee!"

Hearing the familiar tone Keith forced himself to breathe and turn, his feet taking him towards the cashier on automatic.

_Latte with two pumps of caramel syrup, extra large, extra hot..._

"Good morning, welcome to the Red Luck." He perfectly executed the communication manual. "How may I help you?" 

Unfortunately, his customer gave him a disapproving look. "C'mon Grumpy Pants, you know you gotta smile, like this-" then he presented a wide and blinding example, causing Keith's poor heart to lose its entire rhythm.

Carefully Keith kept his face emotionless. At his right, he could feel Pidge's calculating but amused eyes on him.

But he couldn't let himself be swept away...

Not that any of his hard work helped because a second later, warm fingers were on his face (!), trying to manipulate his lips into a smile.

Oh god!...oh _no_...

A sudden fire rushed up Keith's spine, heart jumping into his throat while his stomach executed a very talented free fall. 

"You gotta have a good smile so that your customers will feel welcomed and know they are important!"

Long fingers brushed against his lips, soft skin against his cheeks.

And Keith couldn't breathe...he couldn't breathe...he.had.to.breathe-

" _Alvarez..._ "

"C'mon Keith! Work with me, man!"

With a final, lifesaving move Keith slapped Lance's hands away from his face. Nevertheless he could feel the fire settling over his cheeks.

"Your order" he gritted out.

Even against the rejection, Lance only sighed and gave him a disappointed pout, shamelessly leaning over the counter with his head on his palm.

"You are no fun" he declared.

" _Lance_!"

At the sudden sound, both of their eyes turned towards the source, conversation cut short. 

Across the road, a tall man stood next to a huge sign, declaring the best electronics store in the entire universe. Of course Keith knew the culprit, since there were only two people on Earth who he knew that could pull of a calm, commanding voice and one of them happened to be his foster brother.

which left...Lotor.

Lance did a full turn, leaning his back against the counter and subsequently giving Keith the perfect view of his naked neck and those broad shoulders, stretching the blue t-shirt of Galra Electronics...

Keith's lungs decided to shrivel up and die.

Oblivious to Keith’s predicament, Lance raised one of his arms to wave. "Hey, boss!" he greeted Lotor with an absolute lack of respect.

Hoping to get himself under control, Keith sneaked a look at the other man. Lotor was clearly not impressed.

"Stop flirting with the barista, Alvarez and help Ezor with storage!"

What?!! _Flirting?!_ No way... _no_...

Hastily Keith ducked behind the machine, quickly getting a cup to prepare the coffee.

Lance, on the other hand, just laughed!

"You know it, boss"

And was that a _finger gun_?!...

Thankfully Lotor seemed mostly amused by Lance's antics and got back into the store with a simple wave.

Sprinkling a bit of ginger over the coffee, Keith closed the lid and put it on the service area. "Your order" he snipped, looking over Lance's shoulder. He didn't  _need_  or want eye contact...

Even with only his peripheral vision active, it was impossible to ignore the dazzling smile Lance sent his way. He left his usual amount on the counter then promptly took a lingering sip from his cup, eyes hooded and voice shameless...

But Keith knew this stupid technique! The idiot was just trying to trick him into looking.

No. Nope. Wasn't going to happen!

"Ahhhh..." Lance sighed, voice breathy and so, _so_ pleased. "You are a life saver, man!"

_Dammit!_

Unable to stop, Keith looked up, eyes immediately zeroing on the way Lance's lips looked; wet, soft and parted...

_fuck..._

As always Lance snickered shamelessly, and a mischievous wink later he was bouncing away from the kiosk, tight pants hugging his form perfectly.

Keith sighed, heart squeezed into a pulp and pants getting uncomfortable with each second.

"Ugh!" Pidge commented. "...someone please have mercy “

_If only..._

 

\--*--

 

It was surprising, how with all his open smiles, diverse expressions and bubbly energy, Lance Alvarez was a man of habits. 

For example; he only had two types of orders when it came to coffee.  

The first one was for the mornings. It didn't change whether he was hangover or incredibly energetic, whether the weather was hot or cold, Lance wanted that hot sugary latte!

His other choice of coffee... Well, it wasn't much of a coffee really but more so, a suicide with sugar. Red Luck's white chocolate frappuccino was simply a creamy sugar bomb of mass destruction. This was the afternoon addition in Lance’s coffee land and it also happened to be Keith's worse _fucking_ nightmare!

"-so I told Veronica to drop his ass because if he doesn't even respect your choice in this, he doesn't deserve you!"

Unable to stop, Keith watched the way Lance pulled the straw between his lips, taking a long sip and promptly biting at the end. And _of course_ his eyes were fixed up and directly looking at Keith...

_Ah!..._

And _of course_ Lance Alvarez was obnoxious and shameless and did embarrassing things to a straw! What was news, right?! Humming an affirmative response, Keith forced himself to look away. He couldn't watch this!

Beside him Pidge was stacking up their paper cups. "So what happened?"

And _wow_! She must have been really bored, since Pidge mostly lost interest in any of Lance's conversations unless it was about video games.

"Oh," Lance dismissed away, his fingers looking long and elegant. "I was right and Veronica got out before anything horrendous can happen. Now-" he suddenly leaned across the counter, giving his weight to his folded arms and arching his back.

Keith once again reminded himself to breathe.

But Lance was already reaching back and pulling out his phone from his back pocket. Opening the gallery he turned the phone to show them a colorful photograph.

"This is her with her gorgeous boyfriend!" 

He sounded proud and happy but Keith recognized that tone, that slight drop... But it couldn't be right? Could it?

Beside him Pidge hummed. "She really looks happy"

This time Lance let out a small sigh. "She is lucky to have found love. Not everyone gets such a wonderful chance, you know?"

Keith could feel his brows rising. What was Lance even getting at? _Surely_ if he had been looking for love, he would have tried better than loosing himself in meaningless parties and endless flirts, always going from one person to another!

...and no...Keith wasn't stalking. He was simply... _curious_.

Anyway, he couldn't help it if Lance had open social media accounts!

Pidge's unamused snort brought him back. "Yeah, especially not a hopeless case like you"

Lance startled, his face immediately turning sour. "So _mean_!" He exclaimed, high and whiny. "Is this what you call an enjoyable customer service? I think not!"

Keith huffed but did not interfere; instead he chose to start on cleaning the espresso machine. Pidge was worse than him he supposed, especially with her angelic expression and a swift middle finger.

Upon this Lance mock gasped, a single accusatory finger going up in warning before he once again turned back to his phone, pulling up another photograph. "Is this how you treat someone as nice as me?! Look at this beauty!" He demanded.

"Whatever!"

"So rude, Pidge!"

Keith raised his eyes, gaze automatically focusing on the screen, only to get stuck.

_Oh..._

Vaguely he was aware of his eyes bursting, mouth falling open, and heart losing its rhythm.

Because across the tiny screen a gorgeous man was giving him a cheeky wink, water dripping down his wet hair, the droplets lighting up across his naked, _naked_  abs, sunset lighting up his muscled calves and biceps as he leaned against a surfboard.

_Damn!_

"Look-" Lance said once again, and then stopped abruptly. A smug smile spread across his perfect lips as his eyes eerily focused on Keith.

Oh, no!... oh, _no_!!

“Hey, Keith~” Lance leaned across the counter, pushing the phone towards him. “What do you think? Does my swimsuit match my skin?”

_Nooo!!_

Despite his internal panic and chaos, Keith forced himself to stay calm, taking a slow breath in. No matter what, he couldn’t let himself be swept away! He needed to act cool, needed to find a way out!

He needed to discourage Lance in some way!

Eyes racking over the photograph quickly, Keith found his answer.

"A Hawaiian swimsuit? No wonder you are beyond salvation."

Lance gasped and cradled the phone to his chest, a predictable pout settling over his lips. "So _rude_! Both of you!" He declared pointing and alternating between them. "You must be ashamed with the way you are treating your customers!"

"Not really" he smirked, finally relaxing as amusement filled his chest. When he glanced at Pidge, it was only to find the same indifferent look across her face.

"You guys seriously need better attitudes" Lance commented, promptly and loudly slopping up his frappuccino.

However, this time Keith didn't bother with replying, instead choosing to focus on the new customer as Pidge moved to take their order.

A second later a bouncy melody filled the air, Keith's eyes immediately focusing on Lance as he recognized the boy’s ring tone. 

With a simple tap Lance picked up. "Hello~" Then turning towards Keith he smiled, unbeknownst to him causing Keith’s heart to leap up to his throat. "Oh! Hey, man! No, no, no, it's fine. I just didn't recognize the number. Still haven't gotten around to saving them"

"Vanilla Latte" Pidge called to him.

After a single glance at a distracted Lance, Keith turned to get the order ready. Surprisingly Lance followed him around the kiosk and found himself a place at the side of the order corner. 

Weird...

Shrugging it off, Keith turned back to getting his ingredients ready, hands moving on automatic even as his attention stayed on the other boy.

"Oh stop!" Lance was whining, cheeks getting red with each second and looking damn good! Keith forced himself to look down at his hands, his stomach annoyingly trying different gymnastic moves.

"You are such a- You are  _evil_  Kinkade"

At Lance’s sudden exclamation, Keith looked up only to find Lance’s eyes eerily focused on him. With a startle, he had to look away and turn back to the order.

What was going on?! And who the hell was this Kinkade?

Of course, it wasn’t as if Keith knew all the people in Lance’s life but from their previous conversations he thought he knew a lot! But Kinkade? No... 

Forcing himself to concentrate Keith made a quick flower shape with the milk and placed their signature red lid over the cup. With the order safely given to the customer, he could chance a glance at Lance.

Thankfully this time the other had his back to Keith, distracted as he continued to chat with this ‘Kinkade’ "Of course!" Lance was saying. "Count me in!" Then once again he turned to look at Keith, only to avert his gaze a second later. "Look, I'll - I'll think about it, okay? Fine, yes! _Yes!_ Will you let it go now?!.... Thank you.” Once again turning towards the counter, Lance sighed. “Yeah..yeah.. see you later, man. Take care!"

Then the conversation was over _fast_ and Keith _seriously_ needed something to be busy with because there was no way he would be seen looking at Lance as if he had been waiting for his attention!

_Right!...._

Swiftly starting on clean up, Keith tried to ignore the other...which on your luckiest day was a difficult endeavor. 

"Soooo," Lance leaned across the order table with a playful smile. "Guess what my friend told me?"

"That you need a new swimsuit?”

"Ugh! No! And I know what you are trying to do and lemme tell you, it is not going to work!" Straightening up Lance gave him a pleased and pompous wink.

Keith was simply too happy with himself to bring him down.

"Anyway!” Lance continued, fingers going through his hair and momentarily distracting Keith. “They are having a pool party this Friday."

A pool party?...  So what was Keith supposed to do about it? Be jealous because Lance went to pool parties in his silly gorgeous Hawaiian swimsuit, surrounded by his friends, girls and boys...

"And?..." 

An exasperated sigh, then- "You guys should come too! We never hang out outside of work!"

Keith felt his eyes widen but it only grew with Pidge's response.

"Ok," she said simply. "I wouldn't mind spending a night in a pool. It's too hot anyway."

 _What?!!_ What was going on?! Pidge never wanted to go to parties! Especially pool parties! During their two years as friends, Keith couldn't remember a single instance when he didn't have to beg and plead for hours to convince Pidge to go outside, let alone to a party!

"Great!" Lance exclaimed. "So, Keith?" 

Wait...was that hope in Lance's eyes or was it just Keith’s delusional and desperate mind?

Keith blinked a few times, but before he could convince himself of otherwise, he was accepting with a shrug. "Yeah, sure. I guess it won't be horrible."

Even with his negative answer Lance didn't look discouraged. "That's the spirit! Ok, so Pidge you have my number, right? I'll text you the address."

"Oh shit!"

At Pidge's sudden exclaim, Keith separated his eyes from Lance’s beautiful profile and turned to her. 

"I forgot," she said. "This Friday, my brother is coming to town. I can't make it."

That wasn't right though, was it? Because Keith clearly remembered Pidge saying how Matt would come two weeks later, _not_ this Friday. What was Pidge playing at?!

"That's too bad," Lance said immediately, though he didn't sound particularly sad.   

Slowly suspicion curled at Keith's gut, his brain trying to unravel the weird conversation before it was too late. Though a second later, it was all shut down.

"So, Keith let me have your number and I can send you the address."

"Number?"

Lance laughed airily. "Yes, man. Your number, on your phone. You know, we use it to connect to others these days?"

Keith frowned at Lance's mocking tone but still his heart fluttered inside his chest. "Fine," he murmured, before taking his phone out and giving it to Lance.

For a breathless second their fingers brushed together, eyes linking... Then Lance gave him a giant smirk and quickly entered numbers into their respective phones.

"There!" he announced, "All finished!" And with a brief glance at the clock, he pushed back from the counter. "Sadly I got to leave your lovely presence and get back to work. I know you guys will miss me, but try and be strong!”

“Ha- _fucking_ -ha” Pidge said under the counter as she continued to stack up their supplies.

Keith decided a sarcastic eye roll was an appropriate response. “I don’t know what I will do without you, Alvarez”

If only he knew...

Lance laughed once again. “I'll text you the address, Grumpy Pants!"

Unable to say anything Keith just nodded. And after his regular watch of Lance and his perfectly tailored pants, he gingerly took out his phone, opening his contacts to gaze at the brand new number.

 _Lover Boy Lance_ , it said in the most stupid font he had ever seen.

God...he hated him.

His heart fluttered.

Then a smug voice was cutting into his thoughts. "You are welcome!"

 Keith sighed, burying his face into his hands and refusing to look at Pidge.

 

\--*--

 

It was the fifth time that Keith caught himself looking at his phone that he decided he needed something to distract himself.

And no, there was nothing wrong. He was completely and entirely _fine_!

So what if Lance had said he would text the address to the party and didn't! So what if he hadn't replied to any of Keith's messages!

Keith didn't need him.

Getting up from the couch he leaned against the kitchen counter.

....if only he could go on a ride on his bike. That had always relaxed him, feeling the wind, experiencing the open road. On his bike he could let his problems be swept away, let calmness settle in his heart. But it was getting fixed down town which meant the next best alternative was going on a run...

He glanced at the phone, innocently lying on the couch.

He couldn't do that now though. If Lance texted, it would simply be too late to get back and get ready.  But... it wasn't like he cared about that! 

Because he didn't!  No, absolutely not...

Suddenly his phone vibrated, causing Keith to jump.   _A call??_

Hurrying across the small living room, he reached for his phone, only to stop with an unfamiliar regret. Across the screen there wasn't Lance's name, but a picture of Shiro.

And any other day Keith would have been ecstatic to get a call from his foster brother. He still felt the joy of hearing from the man but now it was tainted with this weird disappointment. Now what did that say about him?...

Forcing his negative thoughts away, Keith reached and accepted the call. It wouldn’t do to make the other man wait for long. "Hey, Shiro"

"Hello Keith," came the pleasant voice from the other end. "How are you doing?"

Great question...

Turning back to the couch, Keith sprawled on it. "Fine"

A brief silence then-

"Keith," Shiro said, his voice immediately causing Keith's mind to sharpen because he knew that tone! "What's wrong?"

Careful to keep Shiro from hearing his sigh, he turned over to his back, eyes fixing on the white ceiling. "Nothing," he lied. "Just tired.”

“Keith?”

Ah...he knew that tone too...

“Look, you don't have to worry about me! I know you have important responsibilities. And I can take care of myself!"

Again there was a brief silence. When he spoke Shiro's voice was entirely calm and soft.

"I know you can take care of yourself. I just...I worry about you."

Keith took a breath in, ready to intervene. 

"And before you object-" Shiro huffed in amusement "That's not because I see you as my responsibility or because I feel like I have to."

Keeping silent Keith picked at a few loose threads at the old couch's side. He hated when they talked about this...

"Keith, you know you don't have to do everything on your own, right? Sometimes it is okay for people to help you."

"Yeah...I know..." he sighed. "If only they didn't keep disappointing me..."

 _Ugh!_ The moment he said those words, Keith wished he could take them back!

And predictably Shiro’s next words were sharp and precise. "Wait! Is this about your crush?"

_Crush?!_

Keith jumped from the couch, a panicked frown settling on his face. "What crush?!" He croaked. "There is no crush! What are you even talking about?"

Shiro chuckled, his voice warm despite the metallic quality. "Last time we met, you kept talking about how annoying he was. What was his name?... James? No.... _Lance_ "

Embarrassment burned at Keith's cheeks and he thanked that this wasn't a video call.

"No, that's not-"

This time there was no mistaking Shiro's tone. It was horrendously teasing!

"So it is~~ What did he do this time?"

Suddenly there were a few muffled voices across the other line. Then- 

"Adam also says hi and wants a picture of your crush"

" _I don't have a crush!_ "

And of course, Shiro _laughed_ , a generous and joyful sound. 

Keith hated him.

And once again he thanked the universe that it wasn't a video call. He would _never_ hear the end of it if Shiro had seen the way his cheeks burned.

"Anyway," he cut in, completely ignoring the other man’s laugh. "What are you guys doing? I didn't know you were back"

There was another brief silence on the other side, then - "...Only for two days, then I'll be away for a week." Shiro explained, voice still tinted with amusement.

Sulking Keith pulled a few more threads from the couch. "And then?"

Silence

"They have a mission for me"

_Oh..._

Pulling his knees up Keith forced himself not to sigh, not to argue... This was Shiro's job. He knew that... It just- It didn't make it any easier to accept...

"How long?”

“At least 6 months...”

6 months?!... Keith could feel his heart slowly and painfully shriveling. “I see...” he forced himself to speak. “Can I at least see you before?"

There were a few more muffled voices on the other line then-

"Yeah, of course." Keith could hear the sad smile in Shiro's voice. "Sorry we couldn't meet up this time..."

Keith let his head hang on the back of the couch, eyes turning towards the ceiling. "Yeah, me too."

".......but maybe... Lance can be an enjoyable company"

_Dammit!_

"Ugh! Why are you insisting on this?!" Keith argued, though his heart wasn't really in it. "I told you I don't have a crush! Lance is just annoying!"

Besides, Lance hadn’t still called, so he couldn’t be any kind of company, could he?!

His gut burned.

Not really aware of his predicament, Shiro laughed, deep and entirely too pleased with himself.

Well...at least one of them was having fun.

\--*--

At the end of the day, Lance didn't call and he didn’t text. He didn’t even reply to Keith’s messages.

In fact there had been not a single peep from the other man and Keith was...

He was  _fine_.

The road felt good under his feet. Wind ruffled through his hair, thighs burned with each step, city blurring around the edges as he ran...ran and  _ran_.

He knew he should have been less hopeful. After all, Lance had always been...finicky.

Countless flirts and dates, men and women, endless parties and friends... At any given day, it was hard to keep track of what he was doing and with whom. So, Keith shouldn't have been surprised that Lance didn’t text the address like he said he would, or he shouldn't have checked his phone obsessively or waited until 2 a.m. for a single message!

 _Really,_  with all that was going on, Lance probably didn't want _Keith_.

Pain squeezed around his lungs, for a second his breath getting caught up at his throat. Fine, he repeated to himself. He was  _fine_...he was  _incredibly_  fine...

Trying to distract himself, he focused on the music coming through his headphones, mind immediately latching on to the high beat. Soon he was matching his rhythm to the song, turning a corner at a full speed.

As he ran, the deserted roads slowly gave him a sense of tranquility, the sun still low over the horizon and the city still sleeping after an adventurous Friday night.

Probably filled with late nights at bars, dance clubs, countless parties...and Lance...

But he didn't  _need_  Lance!  Keith had been entirely okay before they met and he could go back to that! It was  _easy_! Next time he saw Lance, Keith decided, he would keep their interaction brief and distant. 

_Normal_

That's what he needed. Yes, he decided. That was exactly how he was going to react. Distant and normal.

Heart feeling lighter he picked up the pace and moved pass a cute bakery, slowly opening up. Soon he was crossing the road with a fast tempo, almost reaching his apartment.

Suddenly his phone chimed, interrupting the music and causing Keith's rhythm to falter. A second later there was another chime and another and another.

Coming to a stop in front of the apartment, Keith took a few deep breaths, fingers curiously reaching for his phone. 

 _4 Messages_ , it informed him.

Before Keith could open it, another chime, another message.

Ignoring the sweat running down his neck, he opened the screen lock, heart immediately skyrocketing with the additional shock.

The messages were from Lance.

 

\--*--

 

**From: Lover Boy Lance**

_\-- Hey man!! :(((_

_\--Sorry, I forgot to text you!_

_\--It has been a crazy day and I got distracted..._

_\--and then there was booze and more booze and I kinda lost it for a while..._

_\--Shit! Sorry, I didn't realize the time. You are probably asleep! Sorry ;_;_

 

Keith felt his eyes opening wide, fingers reaching up to his lips in surprise. Inhaling deeply to steady his breathing, he leaned against the apartment door.

What was going on? He had thought Lance didn't care about him. The other had stood him up, he hadn’t called or texted! Right?!...

Reaching into his side pocket Keith absentmindedly took out his keys and got inside the building. What was he supposed to do now?? Was he supposed to dismiss this?!

Looking down at the last message, Keith bit into his lip. Before he could chicken out, he was typing a response.

_\--It is fine. I am awake._

Sending it, he immediately closed the screen and got up the stairs. He had to move and not think! He couldn’t think! He didn’t want to! By the time he had got inside his tiny flat, there was another message waiting for him.

_\--Oh! I hadn't imagined you would be up this early on a Saturday morning. Sorry again, I didn't realize it ;_;_

Heart going at a million beats, Keith typed his response.

_\--I had gone out for a run. Just got back._

Almost immediately his phone chimed.

_\--A run?!! Wow! Color me impressed, man!_

Now Keith could feel the heat climbing up his neck and settling over his ears.

What was he supposed to write in response to  _that_?!... Thankfully he didn't need to think too hard, as his phone chimed a second later.

_\--....and that’s kinda hot! Good for you!_

_Hot?!_  Keith could feel his lung constricting inside his chest again. What did  _that_  mean?!

Another chime, another message.

_\--So... about last night... I wanted to apologize. It was stupid and entirely my bad. I just lost time and fucked up :( I hope you can forgive me???_

Keith's fingers hovered over the screen, his mind turning entirely empty. What could he say to Lance when his heart beat erratically inside its stupid cage, despite the pain at his gut?!

He hesitated, before typing his answer.

_\--Yeah...sure_

Moving towards the bathroom, he got rid of his sweaty clothes.

Ugh...he was such an idiot! _But_ , he reasoned with himself, he didn't need this issue to turn into something big. He would just forgive Lance and move on. And in time, his stupid heart would get on with the plan and hopefully stop getting so worked up about him.

Looking at himself over the tiny mirror, Keith wished he could accept his own lie.

Another chime from his phone caused him to turn, fingers impatient as he opened up the message.

_\--Oh! That doesn't sound reassuring at all! ;_; In fact, it sounds like you are pissed at me!_

Keith huffed.  _No shit..._  But a second later, another message appeared.

_\--Wait! How about dinner, tonight? It's on me and this way I can apologize properly!_

His heart leaped up to his throat, sweat suddenly pooling at his hands. A dinner? An  _actual_ dinner?! With just the two of them?!! Was this even  _real_?! 

Shaking Keith forced himself to take a few deep breaths, fingers hovering over the screen. 

He didn't understand what Lance was playing at? So what if he had forgotten to text him the address to a party? Keith wasn't anything to him. He was just some guy Lance liked to flirt and embarrass sometimes.  _Right?_  So what was with the dinner??

_\--C'mon man! Don't leave me hanging here! :(( It's just dinner._

Keith blinked down at the screen, trying to stop his heart's stupid hopeful dance. 

Right, it was _just_ dinner then...That was okay, _yes_? A dinner between friends?...

_\--Yeah, okay._

The response was almost immediate.

_\--Grrreat! I'll pick you up at 7? Send me your address?_

For a second, Keith envisioned what would happen if he forgot to send the address, leaving Lance hanging. Then his treacherous heart fluttered, heat invading his face as he imagined a night out with the other boy and his plot to revenge was gone.

_\--Sure, I'll send it in a minute._

This time the answering chime sounded suspiciously cheerful.

_\--Awesome :D  See you tonight!_

Closing the screen, Keith left the phone on the bathroom counter. 

What the hell had he gotten himself into?!...

His reflection only blinked at him.

 

\--*--

 

Keith checked himself over the mirror, pulling at the plain black t-shirt he had opted for then promptly ran his fingers through his hair.

Even if his body told him otherwise, he refused to accept he was nervous. Because he wasn't!  After all, it made no sense for him to be nervous. It wasn't as if they had decided this was a date! No, it was a simple dinner between friends. That was all it was!

With a sigh he turned to look at his silent phone, a weird fear soon crippling in.

What if Lance forgot this as well?... what then?...

_Brrrrrrrrr!!!!_

The bell startled him, his heart stopping and re-starting with a vengeance as excitement filled his chest.  Moving towards the door, Keith cleared his throat before pushing the intercom button.

"Yes?"

_"Hey, man!! It's Lance! Are you ready?"_

"Hey-" looking down at himself Keith frowned. He still needed a pair of shoes and he  _definitely_  needed to do something about his hair.

"-uhhh come on up?"

From the intercom Keith clearly heard Lance's chuckle. _"So, not ready then"_

Keith only pushed the buzzer to open up the external door and promptly reached out to open the door.

Almost immediately he could hear Lance's quick steps as the other climbed up the stairs. A weird bubbly excitement simmered at his gut, sweat slowly building up inside his palms. As Lance finally came to his floor, Keith was once again running his fingers through his hair.

Not nervous, he reminded himself.

"Hey!" Lance's chipper voice echoed inside the apartment. 

Not that Keith cared because he looked good enough to eat in dark fitting jeans and blue shirt, his collar open enough to show his elegant bones and neck. Before he could stop himself Keith's eyes were drawn to the rolled up sleeves, slowly taking in the tan naked skin...

_Oh...._

"Hi" he croaked, then startling, cleared his throat. "Uh- Hey, come on in" 

Lance gave him a knowing smirk but thankfully didn't comment, instead choosing to give Keith a heart attack with a clap at his shoulder.

Vaguely Keith registered the warmth of the touch, his brain momentarily shutting down and when he came to himself, the other was already in his flat.

_Lance was in his flat!!!_

For a few brief seconds his mind screamed at him, heart going at a million beats but with a deep breath Keith pushed it down and stored it inside a neat emotional box.

He wasn't going to break!

Closing the door he followed Lance into the living room. "I just need to get a few things" he started to explain but soon found Lance interested in his small book collection.

At his voice Lance looked up, his elegant and long fingers waving him off. "It's fine, take your time, man"

With a shrug Keith backtracked and after a few seconds of frantic searching finally found a pair of shoes that he was fine with. Quickly moving to the open living room, he turned towards his bedroom, only to halt at the sight. Heat engulfed his whole body in mere seconds.

Just beside the couch, Lance was leaning forward, lean body bent tantalizingly and eyes unusually fixed at a photograph. Following the other's form, he immediately fixed on Lance's ass and all of its beautiful glory. 

Keith couldn't help it! It was just so round, out and perfect. Besides, it was impossible not to notice the way it looked in those tight jeans!

"You look so happy!"

“Huh?”

Startling from his daze, Keith saw the way Lance’s eyes fixed on him, a knowing smirk slowly appearing on his face.

“In the photo,” he clarified. “I didn’t know you had a bike.”

Forcing himself to focus, Keith moved closer. The other straightened up with one of the frames in his hand.

From the photograph a 15 year old Keith looked at him, fingers almost possessively curled around the motorcycle's handles. "Yeah," he admitted. "It was my first ride ever and I wasn't even legal for it."

Unexpectedly Lance snickered, slightly turning towards him and brushing against Keith’s shoulder. "That kinda sounds dirty"

"What?! _No_!" Keith could feel the heat across his cheeks. He didn't even know if it was embarrassment from Lance's words or excitement because of the boy's proximity. Either way the culprit was clear. 

Taking a step back he reached and plucked the frame from Lance's hands. "I didn't mean it like that!"

Lance was still laughing but there was something almost soft about it...or maybe that was just Keith's wistfulness. "Relax, man! I was just joking!"

Keith frowned but decided to let it go. He was almost ready anyway. Leaving the frame at a convenient location, he moved towards his bedroom. "Just need to get one more thing, then we can go"

Lance silently waved him off, eyes once again turning to trace the other photographs and trinkets. 

Not that Keith understood the fascination. He didn’t have many stuff, especially sentimental ones.  He only had a few photographs of his bike, Shiro and the Holt family and that was it. Picking up a red hair band, he turned back, his fingers quickly pulling up his hair and tying it off.

“Ready!”

Upon his arrival Lance startled. His cheeks were a bit red, as if he had been caught doing something inappropriate. Slowly he put down one of the photos Keith had with Shiro, his brother’s arm around him as they leaned against a tree. It had been Adam who took the photo and if he closed his eyes, Keith could still feel the warmth of the sun and the relaxing breeze. It had been one of those rare Saturdays when Keith could see both of them.

“Great!” Lance replied, though his voice sounded strange. However as sudden as it appeared, that tone disappeared. “Keith!” Lance called. His eyes were twinkling oddly. “What did you do to your mullet?!”

Self-conscious, Keith reached back to touch his small pony tail. “What?” he grumbled defensively. “It is comfortable.”

Lance only chuckled and moved towards the door, not forgetting to brush against Keith as he passed. “Sure...”

“Well, it is!”

Stopping by the door, Lance gave him an amused glance over his shoulder. “C’mon mullet, let’s get going”

 

\--*--

 

They took the bus. 

Keith’s bike was still in the shop and Lance quite unapologetically told him that he wasn’t that rich to own or borrow a car. Besides apparently public transportation was your friend.

Thankfully for them the bus wasn’t too crowded. They still needed to ride on feet but it was nowhere near the rush hour. 

Grabbing one of the handles Keith gave his weight to one of his feet. Having a bike meant he was quite unfamiliar with buses and their roots but soon Lance was joining him, a pleased smile on his face.

"It is not going to take long. Only a few minutes" Ignoring the other empty handles, he held onto the one next to Keith's.

Keith nodded, his face suddenly starting to feel warm. He didn't understand why Lance had to be this close...

"Sooooo..." Lance started as the bus moved forward. "I am really sorry about the whole mess. I fucked up!"

At Lance's swearing an old lady gave him a nasty look but Keith had other problems because Lance's hand was on his back, a single point of contact...but so warm...

"Uhhhh" he stammered, for a second his brain refusing to work. "It is- it is fine! I had other plans I could get to- so. It was not a problem"

A blatant lie but it wasn't as if Keith would tell Lance that he had waited for a single line of communication till 2 a.m.  _Nope!_

"Oh?... You had other plans?"

Swallowing around the nervous lump at his throat, Keith tried to shrug. "Yeah"

Something undefinable passed over Lance's face but before Keith could figure it out, it was gone. "That's good then! I didn't cause too much of an inconvenience"

Even though the other's tone was weird, Keith only saw a smile on Lance's face. "No...it was okay. I needed to get up early for my run anyway."

This time Lance's lips curled in a warmer teasing smile. "Not what I meant but let's not dwell on that! Not when you go out for a run at freaking dawn on a Saturday! What is wrong with you, man?!"

A sudden irritation ignited under Keith's skin. Lance always did this! Teased him, made fun of him and even though Keith was man enough to admit he loved the attention, nothing was wrong with him! He scowled and took a step away from Lance, turning to confront him. "I like being healthy, that's what!"

Lance only snickered, a teasing light appearing in his eyes. "So passionate..."

Before Keith could open his mouth to give a piece of his mind, the bus lurched forward and abruptly stopped, causing Keith's unbalanced body to jerk forward.

And-

He was nose to nose with Lance...

Hand closed around Lance's arm...

Fingers curled at his hip...

Breaths mingling...

As the realization dawned Keith's body went from zero to six hundred in a second, breath hitching and heat invading him all over. He could feel the warmth from the other boy, smell his cologne, wanted to touch, to _taste_ -

Feeling his heart at his throat Keith finally looked up, expecting surprise, nonchalance or maybe even mockery in the other boy's eyes.

But there weren’t any of those things; in fact Lance looked silent, eyes heavy...dark...

A shiver ran down Keith's spine, his fingers twitching around Lance's arm. "Lance -"

 _Biing!_   _Next station : Burgundy. Next station: Burgundy..._

For a brief second Keith caught Lance's scattered look between his lips and eyes but the next second, Lance was pulling back, his tongue peeking out to lick at his lips.

"Our stop" he murmured, voice deeper than usual.

Oh...

Keith watched as the other slowly stepped away, fingers leaving their position from his hip.

He let go of Lance's arm as well, still feeling the warmth from the boy's touch. "Yeah" his voice sounded strange to him, heart still beating at his chest with warm expectation.

That had been so close, their bodies linked, lips almost touching... what if they hadn't been in a public place?... what if they had been alone in Keith's flat?... 

As he continued to dwell in his daydream, Keith moved behind Lance, soon finding himself in front of a pristine restaurant.

 _Oh, right...._ The friendly dinner.

When Lance turned to look at him, he had a perfectly normal smile on his painfully handsome face. "Here we are" 

So naturally, Keith must have imagined the whole dark and needy look, right?

_Right._

 

\--*--

 

The restaurant was actually beautiful with marble floors, a high ceiling and a lot of mirrors. Everything was just clean and shiny and so white!

How where they even going to afford a meal, here? Were they even properly dressed?!

But a second later, Keith realized that people at the tables didn’t look too different from them and even though the servers were fancy, there wasn’t a strict policy when it came to seating.

Lance must have recognized his look for what it was because as they walked down the aisle of tables, he started explaining. “It looks too expensive but it is just their concept. Their prices are actually affordable. I’ve came down here with a close buddy of mine a few months ago. He loves food and he just wanted to taste their pasta dishes.”

Choosing a table by a huge line of mirrors and a side window, Lance sat down. “Don’t get me wrong, the food is pretty good, but-“discreetly pointing with his head towards a nearby waiter, he gave Keith a wink. “The view is quite nice as well.”

Sitting down, Keith turned to look at the direction Lance had indicated, only to get an eyeful of a bunch of handsome looking waiters, dressed up as perfect butlers. A blush immediately spread over his cheeks, and ignoring Lance’s snicker, Keith averted his gaze swiftly.

Great...that had been a great start...

Suddenly Keith felt a presence close by.

“Hello, welcome to the Mansion! I’m Andy and I will be your waiter for tonight.”

As he looked up to their waiter, Lance was beaming across from him, his eyes hiding nothing as he ogled the waiter. “Hi!” he greeted in his everyday energetic self, and then promptly took the menu away from the other, fingers momentarily brushing against their waiter’s hand.

“I’ll come back in a few minutes,” Andy said, his gaze lingering at Lance and completely ignoring Keith.

And wasn’t that just _perfect_?...

“Thank you~” Lance called after him, before turning towards Keith with a pleased smile. “Told you!”

Yeah...so what if the waiter was built like an Adonis? And had a pretty smile?!

With a grumble Keith focused his attention on the menu. He didn’t need to see Lance flirting with a stranger but apparently that was what he was going to get! He didn’t know why he had bothered with coming tonight!

But-

Looking over the menu, Keith watched the way Lance worried his lip between his teeth, trying to pick something for himself. A second later the boy looked up, a warm smile spreading over his mouth as he saw Keith watching.

 _So_...that was why.

“Got it?” Lance asked.

Keith could only nod.

After they placed their orders and Lance and Andy had a chance to shamelessly flirt (“Diet coke please. I’ve gotta watch my figure” “Oh, you’ve got nothing to worry about”) Andy left them to their own devices with only a bread basket to keep them company.

“Soooo..” Lance immediately started. “What do you think so far? Do you like it?”

Looking around Keith made a noncommittal sound at the back of his throat, which promptly caused Lance to pout.

“Oh, c’mon man! You are such a Grumpy Pants!”

Keith sighed. “It is _fine_ , I just think the waiters are a touch too much.”

For a brief moment a knowing glint shone through Lance’s eyes, his gaze flickering towards Andy and finally focusing on Keith. “ _Really_?...”

“Yeah,” Keith said, keeping his face neutral. “I just think they are pretentious.”

This time Lance laughed sweetly, his hand landing on Keith’s. “That’s the point, mullet brain!”

And Keith could have been mad at Lance for insulting him (and his hair) but Lance’s hand was warm and soft and right on top of his! Heat rushed through Keith’s veins, brain shutting down and focusing only at that single point of contact. It almost felt like his heart was going to melt inside his chest.

And then the hand was gone.

“Though I think I get what you mean. Hunk, you know the friend I told you about, he is at an exchange program right now. Anyway he hadn’t also liked the whole parade. He had liked the food though, so I thought this would be the perfect opportunity for an apology dinner.”

“Uhh..yes...”

“And it’s been a while since I ate out too. I mean, I have been slaving myself off at the store and what do I even _earn_?! You are lucky, you only work with Pidge! I mean I like my co-workers but seriously sometimes, it is just _frustrating_ -“

Keith almost sighed. Now, this was familiar...

At any given day Lance loved to talk and he could talk about _anything_.

And even though sometimes the chatter was too much for Keith, on this instance he almost felt grateful for the boy’s talent at small talk, because now with a few well-placed, non-committal sounds Keith could relax and only watch the way Lance’s face changed with his many lively expressions, the way his hands moved, elegant and animated, and his lips-

Suddenly Lance stopped, his eyes focusing on Keith with an eerie level of attention. “Uhh!” he groaned. “Sorry, I have been talking too much about myself! Hunk always says I’m hoarding the conversation.”

 “It’s fine-“

“And you never talk about yourself!”

“Uhhh...” Keith startled, eyes opening wider. He almost felt called out. But what was Lance really expecting from him? “I don’t know...what do you wanna know?”

Lance gave him a sudden calculating smile, as if this was the moment he had been waiting for. Leaning closer, the other looked at Keith with hungry eyes.

“Do you have a girlfriend?”

_What?!_

“What?! No! I don’t...I mean- I’m not- Girls are not-“

Lance’s smile only got wider and much more satisfied.

“A boyfriend, then?”

Keith could feel the heat settling across his cheeks. Why was this happening??

“That’s not...no, uh- not really...”

He couldn’t meet Lance’s eyes.

“Such a shame...”

And did Lance’s voice sound deeper or was that just Keith?...

“Uhh...” he stammered, unable to come up with something clever to say. But Lance was already filling the silence.

“You know, you can be a real catch with that motorcycle and fit body.”

Keith couldn’t believe his ears! Looking up in surprise he watched the way Lance played with a piece of bread, slowly picking pieces and putting them inside his mouth. For a few seconds Keith got distracted, watching the way Lance’s lips kissed his fingers, how they lingered, long and wet.

“Of course,” Lance was continuing, fingers making a dismissive motion. “We’ve gotta work on that horrible mullet and personality but otherwise you are golden!”

Keith’s attention suddenly snapped back. “ What is wrong with my personality?!”

“My point,” Lance replied sweetly. “ And you didn’t deny the mullet!”

He sounded so pleased and smug that Keith could kill him or kiss him... He wasn’t sure yet...

“You just have no appreciation of beauty,” he tried to tease, reaching up and sliding his hand against his tied hair.

Lance’s eyes were strangely careful on him but a second later his expression had changed into a teasing grimace. “ _Beauty_? It looks like a dead thing, Keith!”

“A _dead thing_?!”

Suddenly Lance’s phone rang, the familiar melody cutting into their conversation and immediately distracting the other.

Not that it was too concerning, Lance had always lost his attention fairly easy, getting a call from a friend, checking out something online or answering some text message. What was concerning however, was the look on his face when he saw the caller id.

He positively looked ecstatic, a soft and hopeful light appearing in his eyes.

Keith frowned, a heavy feeling settling at his gut.

“Sorry, gotta take this”

And before Keith could get in a word, Lance was already answering the phone.

“Hey, _gorgeous_! How are you doing? Have you missed me too much?”

_Oh..._

Keith stomach plummeted down hard, air leaving his lungs in under a second.

Lance had someone.

“Hey, hey... slow down Allura, babe. What-what happened?”

The concern in Lance’s face should have invoked some kind of sympathy but the only thing Keith could think right now was how stupid he had been all this time!

 _Of course_ , Lance had a girlfriend! Honestly, it was a little strange for the other to be discreet about his love life but here he was, openly talking to his lover! Keith pulled his hands off the table and away from Lance.

“Love, calm down. Everything is going to be okay. We’ll handle it! I know a few people and I’ll call them right now and we are going to come and fix it! Yes?”

Keith’s fingers curled into fists under the table, his nails biting in viciously. He suddenly wished he had never left home.

For a brief second Lance looked at him but then his eyes had turned downwards once again. “It is fine, don’t worry about that.” He told Allura. “Okay, I’ll see you in a short while.”

Then the call ended, and Lance had a stupidly apologetic look on his face. “Man, I’m so sorry!” Reaching across the table the other stopped when he realized there was no hand or arm he could hold onto. Looking up Lance linked their eyes. “I know this is a shitty move but I’ve gotta go. Allura just moved into town and she doesn’t know anybody around here and the plumbing system in her flat just broke down.”

So, that’s why Keith hadn’t heard about her. She was new in town and that probably meant Lance’s relationship was new as well. His heart broke with the information.

“Yeah...” he muttered, turning his face away and trying to act nonchalant. “I understand.”

“You know, you can come with me, if you want? It’s not going to be pretty but...”

Spending his Saturday night with Lance and his girlfriend, in her new flat trying to fix a broken plumbing system? No, thanks... Keith would rather face his humiliation alone.

“No, that’s fine.” He said, careful to keep his tone neutral. “You should go.”

For a brief second Lance stayed frozen, eyes still on Keith and hesitation clear on his face.  And Keith thought...maybe, _maybe_ he would stay, maybe he would stay this time... But all it took was those few seconds then Lance was taking his phone, getting up and leaving.

As he passed Keith, the other reached out and brushed his hand across Keith’s shoulders. It took all of Keith’s willpower not to recoil. “I’m really sorry, man. I’ll make it up to you, promise.”

_Yeah, right..._

Keith didn’t reply but Lance was already out of the door so who cared...

That was the exact moment; Andy chose to come back, their drinks in his hands. “Ah?” he murmured. “Where is your cute friend?”

Keith gave him a dirty look.

“Oh... _that_ bad?!” He had a pitying look on his face. “Should have seen that coming though... It’s always the charming ones that disappoint you!”

Yeah... Keith was starting to learn that. But he wasn’t going to make the same mistake again.

As he got up, he made a silent vow to himself.

He wasn’t going to fall for Lance.


End file.
